Emily in Paris? More like Emily in Debt

The average Parisian Marketing Executive takes home around €46,000 per year (thank you, Glassdoor). As of February 2022, that converts to around AU$73,000. You might be lucky to score an end-of-year bonus that boosts your bank account, but even at the highest level, salaries cap out around €90,000 (AU$140,000). Despite her miraculous ability to start a viral campaign with a single Instagram post, she’s far from running the show at Savoir – so let’s assume she’s earning somewhere in the realm of €60,000.

Emily’s apartment is located in the 5th arrondissement, a stone’s throw from the Seine river. A quick Google search reveals rent will set you back between 1200-2000 (AU$2000-$3100) per month.  If you live in Sydney, this sounds like a bargain. Let’s not forget to add utilities (€178/month) and internet (€30/month).

If Emily wasn’t having a steamy love affair with a chef around the corner from her apartment, she’d probably be dropping a few hundred euros every month on groceries. Luckily, she seems to get her fair share of free meals. On top of that, because men are practically tripping over each other to take her on a date, we can probably assume her monthly grocery allocation is relatively modest. 

If Sarah Jessica Parker can afford to live in a lavish Manhattan apartment on a freelance writer’s wage, I can accept that Emily may be able to make it work in Paris. However, the deal-breaker for me here is the wardrobe.

Sporting brands like Missoni, Elie Saab and Miu Miu, and forever trotting around in Louboutins, it’s probably safe to say that most of Emily’s paycheck goes on clothing and accessories. 

In Episode 9, Season 2, she casually roams around the city wearing a cumulative total of €4000 (AU$6300) on her person. The belt alone comes with a €1000 price tag, and the shoes could cover a month’s rent. I must credit the show’s stylists for their fruitless attempt to stay in touch with the common folk. The white vest is from Zara and will only set you back $100 or so. 

I’d also like to point out that the dress Emily wears to a party in St Tropez in Episode 2, Season 2 – which, to be fair, is cute as hell – costs an eye-watering €8000 (AU$12,000). Need I continue?

Is anyone else deeply concerned about her spending habits? How much credit card debt is she in? How many different BNPL services is she using? Is she at least using a round up app to help her pay a little extra off her debts every time she makes a purchase? 

In her defence, she does work for a marketing agency that specialises in luxury brands, so there’s a chance she’s getting a lot of this stuff for free. If that is the case, is Savoir currently hiring? Asking for a friend…

Judging by the number of social media accounts dedicated to replicating Emily’s style or tracking down the exact garments she wears in the show, it’s clear Emily in Paris has had an impact. Just like Sex and the City and a host of other aspirational-yet-completely-unrealistic shows, Emily in Paris presents an ideal. Consumers who buy too heavily into it may find themselves up debt creek without a paddle. 

It’s easy to get carried away in the pursuit of style but staying on-trend isn’t worth going into high-interest debt over.